Title: The Eternal Void
CHAPTER ONE “I swear it’s the most fabulous place I’ve ever seen! And I’ve seen some awesome things in my time.” “Sure, sure, buddy. We’re convinced. Why else would we drop everything for a vacation with… you.” Lando Calrissian grinned roguishly at his friend. “Because when a man of good taste tells you of a fantastic get-away for you and your busy wife, you listen. Smart man.” “Leia tries to tell people that but no one listens.” The sound of a woman’s laughter drifted to them. “They’re just offset by your scoundrel past, dear.” Han grinned and leaned back in the pilot’s chair as she came up behind him, putting her hands on his shoulders. She had her lovely brown hair up in braids and curls today in a way that he always admired. “True. Even reformed, you can’t get away from your past.” “Reformed?” Luke asked as he followed his twin into the cockpit. “Who’s reformed?” “No body that I know of”, answered Lando, smiling as he said it and watched Han’s face for any detectable smirk. The other man just nodded. “Well, don’t let it get out.” Nova was the last to enter, shutting the door behind her. “Let what out?” “Not a thing.” Leia sat down behind her husband and Luke sat beside her, making a spot for his wife in his lap. Once settled, Nova laid her blonde head on his shoulder and kicked her foot gently against the air. “Well, I for one am eager to see this place. The seven of us cramped aboard the falcon for four days isn’t exactly what I pictured this vacation to be like. Even the droids are starting to complain.” “Goldenrod was complaining before he got on. What are you talking about?” Nova laughed at Han’s words, not because they were funny but because they were true. “I just can’t believe it’s so far from the core with it being such a ‘grand’ place.” “Well”, Lando murmured. “Maybe I’ll move it once we get in. I hear it’s equipped with a hyperdrive.” Han straightened slightly, suspicion at Lando’s wording. “What do you mean, ‘you hear’? You bought the place. Shouldn’t you know?” The man nodded, his dark features looking innocent. “It was a steal, Han.” “You bought it sight unseen?” “I’ve seen it.” “Seen it where?” Lando rubbed his hands together. “In the holos that I was sent.” “That doesn’t sound like you, Lando.” Luke patted his wife’s back. “No, Nova. That sounds just like him. Ever the gambler.” Lando’s hands came up into the air. “Like I said. It was a steal. A once-in-a-red-moon opportunity. This place has been lost since the clone wars. An architectural marvel just waiting to be re-unveiled to the galaxy.” “At a reasonable price?” Leia asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Reasonable enough.” Luke frowned, his lips and eyebrows pulling down. On good faith, Han and Leia and he and Nova had taken a month’s worth of vacation from their responsibilities. This was to be a vacation from all their hard work and a sort of second honeymoon for both couples. But if this… ‘Crystal Citadel’ was not what Lando promised… “Will you people stop worrying? The guy who sold it to me said it was fully powered, in awesome shape, fully manned by cleaning and maintenance droids and was up to specs. I’m telling you this place will make you never want to go home.” Leia sat back in the chair she was in, brown eyes cutting his way. “Why do I feel like you brought us here for other reasons beside a vacation?” Lando shrugged. “What?” Han shook his head, eyes alighting on the ’Falcon’’s control board. “I’m not fixin’ nothin’, I’m not killin’ nothin’ and I’m not endorsing anything.” “No one is asking you to. You people are so distrusting.” Nova snickered and wobbled in Luke’s lap playfully. “I’m not! I trust you, Lando!” The male turned and gave his brightest smile. “Why thank you, madam. Trust seems to be in short supply on this ship”, he said, looking pointedly at Han. “Ah, give it a rest.” The alert for their upcoming destination sounded off and the group scrambled to get better situated for the departure from hyperspace. They reverted to real space and came to a slow float in a field of stars. “Well, where is it?” Lando pointed and Han speared the ’Falcon’ towards it. Everyone was leaning close to the window to see this ‘amazing architectural marvel’ that shone in the space like a shining diamond. The closer they came to the space station, the more impressive it became. Large, made of angles and shining brightly in the slightest light, the station resembled, more and more, a jewel set adrift in the weightlessness of space. “What’s it made out of?” as Leia softly. “Transparasteel.” Luke looked over, surprise evident on his face. “The whole thing?” “No… when we get closer, you’ll be able to see the frame of it.” “And all that transparasteel manages to keep out radiation?” “I sure hope so.” “Lando!” The dark-skinned man laughed. “Ofcourse! It’s a hundred percent safe.” “Nothing is a hundred percent safe”, Han growled. But even the Corellian pilot, who had seen his fair share of life and experiences kept his eyes glued to the large structure. “Where do I land on that thing?” “Docking bays are…” Lando tilted forward and pulled a data pad from his belt to look over the specs. “…over there, I think. Aft section.” Han maneuvered the ’Falcon’ around until he found an open access point. “Don’t scratch anything when you land.” “Don’t make me mention my deflector dish, okay?” Lando laughed jubilantly, hearing the others chuckle along. “When do you not mention it?” It was not a tight squeeze but everyone remained quiet to let Han concentrate on landing on the clear deck. Without Chewbacca as co-pilot, Han had been even more protective of the ’Falcon’ than he normally was. Everyone was happy to see Chewie go home to Kashyyyk to be with his family even though he was often missed. Han leaned back with a grin after the ship had touched down. “Not a scratch!” Leia patted him on the back. “Good job, captain!” Nova, without Luke having to gesture, got up to let him stand. “I have got to see this place”, he murmured, looking out at the crystal room that was the entrance to the citadel. Luke frowned suddenly, his face scrunching then looking distracted. “What…” Nova stopped herself from asking, then reached out to test the fortress with the Force. She felt a shiver then nothing other than a structure... deep, wide and far stretching. “Must be nothing… I thought I felt…” “Felt what?” Lando asked, cutting his brown eyes to the duo. Luke shrugged, looking to his wife. “Nothing… or something hiding in the Force… kinda like I do when I get scared…” Lando stood up, clicking his tongue. “Cut it out, you two. There are NO life forms aboard this ship. The original owner is coming in a week to make sure I’m satisfied and to close the deal. Other than that… we are it.” “How do you know for sure? Maybe he left his housekeeper behind.” The dark skinned man held up the data pad. “As soon as we entered, the citadel connected with the data pad. No life forms and… the docking bay has reestablished atmosphere. Come on.” Rubbing his face, Han looked to his wife. She tilted her head and held out her arm. “C’mon, fly boy. Let’s do some adventuring.” * + * + *
The group of five humans and two droids ambled away from the safely locked-up ’Millennium Falcon’, all looking about the huge, empty bay and commenting on the total lack of echo. “This place is amazing”, Lando murmured. Luke smirked, imaging credit symbols dancing through Lando’s brain. “Where are the damn doors in this place?” Lando pointed to a golden bar eight feet off the ground at Han’s question. They arrived and Lando accessed the door. They walked into a much smaller room, made of the same glass, both clear and frosted. And, for the first time, the group noticed a pale white writing engraved in the walls. It may have been in the docking bay as well but the writing blended so well in places that it was hard to notice. Threepio got close and looked it up and down as the doors shut behind them, sealing them into a small anteroom. “That’s odd”, Leia commented, running her hands over the line of angular and curved writing. “It’s all over.” “Make any sense to you, Threepio?” Luke asked. “It… seems familiar but I can’t quite place it.” The golden droid paused for a moment then turned slightly. “Nor can I, Master Luke. A few of them are reminiscent of-“ “That’s nice, Goldenrod”, Han interrupted, not wanting to hear the prattle. He spread his hands slightly. “Alittle claustrophobic.” Lando jumped alittle. “Right…” He triggered the door with his data pad and revealed a new expanse of transparasteel. Lights were also triggered, and they could see rooms lighting up one after another until it seemed the whole ship glowed even brighter than before. “The citadel just powered up to full. It was in standby mode. Nice!” They could see right through the inner door to the room beyond and were probably seeing the room beyond that as well. “Wow.” Nova was grinning. “Lando, this place…” “I know!” he cooed, obviously pleased so far. He went through the second door and into the large room beyond. Threepio’s feet clanked behind them and Han cut his eyes at him. His wife glanced back by reflex to make sure the floor wasn’t being scuffed. The floors were thicker than the wall but she could see spots of colors where she was seeing into the rooms below. Han spied something as they entered the front room and walked over to a line of clear glass cabinets. “What is all this stuff?” Lando came up beside his friend and stared down at the objects inside. “Beats me.” “Looks expensive.” “There are pieces from Alderaan here!” Luke turned at the sound of his sister’s exclamation. She was leaned over a case, staring at the trinkets within. He walked over and hooked an arm around her waist. “I saw a bound book back there. Looks old.” “And some artifacts from Corellia”, Nova put in, looking around at the structure. “Han’s right, Lando. You’ve got a fortune just in this stuff alone if it’s all authentic.” The older man let out a breath and wiped his brow, a silly grin on his face. “You know what?” Han asked then answered too quickly for anyone to offer an answer. “This place gives me the creeps.” “Han! What are you talking about?” Leia asked, walking over to him. “It’s lovely!” The male looked over at her and relaxed, smiling at her beautiful face. His arm came about her shoulders and they walked to a glass wall that was less thick than the others. Peering down, they saw into the next room beyond. “Wow… again. Lando… come see this.” The whole group, humans and droids, walked to the far wall and stared down at the huge room ahead of them. They were apparently on a second floor because this one was in the above section of the next room. And a large room it was, but, unlike this first one, it contained nothing more but an odd lay out of metal rings on the floor, making an ever-growing circle. Each one bore the same type of symbols that were laid into the walls. Han blinked lazily at the formation. “So… do we get to choose our own rooms or what?” ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“This one!” “What about this one?” Luke called back from the end of the glass hall he and his wife were in. Nova rushed over and peeked inside. The opaque crystal walls, ceiling and floor where interrupted by browns and tans were dressers and the bed was set up. “No… see the other one first.” She took his hand and lead him back down the hall. When she got to the door, she waved her arm. “Ta-da…” Luke looked over the spacious bedroom and leaned his arm against the door jam, his longish hair curled at his face as he looked the room over. “Nice. Very… purpley.” “Nice? It’s perfect! And it’s not purple, it’s lavender and violet. Very soothing.” she exclaimed, walking inside. She made a sudden running-jump for the bed, landing on her back with extremities outstretched. “Tell me this isn’t perfect.” Luke walked in and sat on the edge of the bed. “Can’t complain.” He laid down beside her and they stared at the ceiling. “It has its own bathroom.” “Its own bathroom?” “Yea… and it’s big.” “How big?” “The bathtub looks like an indoor pool.” “A whole pool, huh?” Nova grinned. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Leia walked slowly down a line of shelves made of crystal, each one baring row after row of books. Ancient, paper books bound in well-worn material and tiny creations of metal lay sprinkled about, with a crystal visor sitting in front of the books, looking terribly out of place. “Amazing”, she whispered, running her finger over the spines. Han was sitting on the long, low couch in the room they had picked. He was pouring wine into two slender glasses. “What’s more amazing is that Lando actually may have gotten a winner in this place.” Leia made a laughing sound. “He’s got something, that’s for sure.” Han clicked the glasses together to get her attention. “Come here. This is our honeymoon, right?” Smiling, Leia walked forward and sat down beside him, taking a glass from him and crossing her legs towards him. “Where’d the wine come from? Lando?” “Nope. I brought it.” Leia looked at him quizzically. “I don’t recall you packing it.” “Man of surprises.” “Ofcourse. How could I forget?” ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
“Oh! I can’t believe we have our own rooms, Artoo!” R2-D2 twittered and made a spitting noise. “What do you mean you’d rather be with Master Luke? What’s wrong with my company?” Artoo hissed. “Why I never!” The little droid blatted at him as he rolled around the clear floor. “You’re not so nice to get along with either, you know. Besides, Master Luke and Mistress Nova, Mistress Leia and Captain Solo are all here on their vacation. And I’m sure we’d just get in the way”, he told the other droid, his voice almost lamenting. “They certainly don’t need us around.” Artoo halted at a nearby wall and spurted a question. “No, I can’t decipher it, Artoo. It’s probably just directions.” Artoo swiveled his head and whistled. “Humans like to have directions written everywhere, that’s why.” The droid made a confirmation noise and spun away, rolling out the door. “Oh! Where are you going? A stroll? A stroll where?” Threepio watched his counterpart vanish through the doorway. “Don’t leave me! Wait for me!” ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Looking through the front office, Lando could not help but keep the smile on his face. The office was large and well organized and was the obvious center of the megalith. Cameras lined the side wall and power read outs lay beneath each. From the schematics he read, he knew he could monitor and control the entire structure from this room alone. A hard wood desk the color of passion wine lay in the center of the room. He sat down behind that desk and relaxed, crossing his ankles and sighing. He loved being behind a desk, behind the scenes, making everything come together. His slender fingers spread out on the desk and moved across the smooth wood. A nearby box at the corner amongst the data terminals built into the counter top caught his eye. Opening the lid, his face blossomed into a boyish grin. “Now, that’s class.” The inside top of the box displayed the symbol for the Hierarchy Company of Selonia, makers of the finest cigaras in the core. Lando took one of the slender smokes and put it between his lips. Smoking wasn’t a habit he cared to cultivate but celebration puffs were perfectly acceptable. Looking around for a light, he tilted his head and saw a built in lighter at the desk’s corner. Biting the cigara between his teeth in a smile, he tugged the lighter out of its place in the corner then jumped when one of the screens flared to life behind him. Lando didn’t move for a second, wondering what caused the sudden life there. He stood and walked closer, the cigara now between his fingers along with the lighter. The screen depicted the second room and the odd floor mosaic there. Only now, the outer wheel was spinning. “Mmm… neat… Moving art?” he asked himself, pushing down the sudden feeling of anxiety. Lando clicked off the screen and turned back to look around the light room of opaque glass, feeling a little alone all of a sudden. The written symbols on the wall seemed to dance in the glowing lights of the monitoring equipment, looking as though they wanted to tell a story. He shook his head and sat back down, deciding to get down to the business of looking through the legal papers that had been left for him. Lando tried to stick the lighter back in its socket but the slender slot was stuck closed and would not accept the lighter back. It had cooled off so he tossed it in one of the draws and sighed. He shook his head again at the distraction and stuck the cigara back between his lips, annoyed that its flavor seemed to be somehow lessoned now. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Outside, away from the two couples, their droids and the new administrator, the walls of the citadel began to move.
CHAPTER TWO
Getting a small pile of discs in hand, Lando hummed a tune, getting prepared to ready himself for dinner with his guests. He had invited them all to celebrate their arrival. A flash of light caught his eye and he looked up. The screen he had switched off before flared to life once again, showing the same scene of the revolving disc in the floor. And beside it, a new picture arose. It was of a section of glass. One of the glass doors opened but noone was there. Noone to trigger it that he could see. He walked forward and stared closely at the screen, wondering what made the door open. Perhaps an automation to increase or decrease air circulation? Rubbing his palms together, his chocolate brown eyes searched from one screen to another, wondering if their was a connection there. If there was, just what was going on here? ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
“C’mon, take a bath with me!” Luke laughed as he shrugged on his shirt. “No! I’m going exploring and I’d like you to come with me.” Nova rolled over in bed and moaned. “I’d love to but… I’d like a bath first, please.” “A shower”, he compromised as he laid back on the bed. “And I’ll wait for you.” “Deal! Be out in a few.” He watched her go and mulled over joining her. The shower on the ‘Falcon’ wasn’t in the best of shape of late and they had to ration their baths. He wanted to explore before dinner and he knew if he got into a relaxing bath, his plans would go right out the window. Luke stretched out on the bed as long as his body would go, staring at the ceiling and smiling comfortably. Just the solitude alone was making the vacation a success. His eyes blinked lazily, the smile fading. Or maybe the solitude was too much. No sounds of the jungle… No sound of the city. No students… It was very quiet… deathly quiet. The sound of spray in the bathroom filled the silence and he heard his wife’s giggle. That was enough to shoo away any oddness that decided to creep in on him and make him paranoid. Nova glanced in on him, smiling at how peaceful he suddenly looked. She returned to the preparations before her shower. Oddly enough, everything was laid out as though waiting for guests. Perhaps the person who sold Lando the deed had set the place up for their arrival. Dismissing the thoughts, she twirled around and undressed, delighted by the prospect of an honest water shower. She stepped into the shower and shut the little door to the bath to keep water off the floor. She turned on the spray and hopped back, soap already in hand. Checking the water’s temperature, she set herself under than spray and stretched beneath the warm water as it caress down her body. She shampooed her hair and ran the soft, scented soap over her, trying to make the job a quick one while still trying to enjoy it as much as she could. Right in the middle of foaming up her hair and washing it clean, she felt a presence near her. Before she could turn around, though, two strong hands cupped her waist and she relaxed. Involuntarily shivering, she giggled when she felt a lean body press to hers, glad Luke had changed his mind. Oh, but he was cold… Tremors of unease sparked down her spine. She wiped at her face to rid it of soap and turned with a frown then stood completely still. No one was there. Swallowing a painful lump, she forced herself to relax her body. There was a reasonable explanation for everything under the sun. But she tried twice before she called out for her husband, not taking her eyes off the spot where he should have been. She got no response. Fearing for his safety and her own, she pulled back the shower door and screeched at the sight of a shapeless blur before her. Slamming back into the wall behind her, she wrapped one arm across her bared breasts and the other was thrust ahead of her top ward off any attack. Luke stood there with eyes wide, his hands moving fast to catch her. “What?! What is it?” Nova’s breath came rapidly, almost sinking down the wall. She blew out a measured breath and laughed alittle, comforted by her husband’s presence despite the uneasiness than remained. She poked her head out and looked around the tiny, white and opaque room. “You called me.” “I did.” “I couldn’t feel you. What scared you?” Nova reached forward and hugged him despite being wet and alittle soapy. “I felt hands on me…” Those words may have seemed odd to most couples but Luke and Nova had had their fair share of extrasensory phenomena. “It wasn’t me.” “You sure?” Luke concentrated a little then shrugged. “I don’t think so.” Nova’s blue eyes looked the room over again, crossing her arms over her bare breasts as she caught a chill. “No… I didn’t think it was.” “Ghost?” “Maybe. Look, you stand there and let me finish.” “That’s torture,” he teased gently. “Oh, stop it”, she told him, practically ignoring his meaning as she got back under the spray. In a few seconds she was done. “Towel.” Luke presented her with one and helped her out, his wife glancing about the room with sight and energy. “I suddenly don’t like this bathroom. Let’s pick another room. Okay?” Luke sighed at her fickleness but nodded. He couldn’t blame her for wanted to not sleep in a room where she was confronted with a specter. They could investigate later. Sometimes, phenomena such as this did not repeat and neither was too worried about it. She slipped into soft panties and a purple dress for dinner, so light it could be confused for white. She could dry off as she and Luke explored. One necklace and she was set. They would come back to the room later to refresh after their outing. “Okay. You ready?” Luke was hooking his lightsaber to his belt as he nodded. “Think I should take mine?” His hands came together at the palms and his eyebrows lifted, not answering. “Right.” She dipped into one of their bags and pulled out a calve holster designed to hold her saber while wearing fashion. “You’re ready now?” “Do I look it?” Luke perused her form as she stood straight. “You look wet.” “I’ll dry.” “Pretty, clingy dress”, he murmured, pinching her bottom as she walked passed him. The giggled that came forth was enough to dispel the last of her off-kilter feelings. They walked out, the crystal door, shutting behind them. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Inside their room a seven-foot spirit of blue rage wafted in the shadows, body blistered and teeth showing through rotted lips. The echo of a snarl bounced back at him and he shot up to the closed door, screaming at his newest cage. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
“My! Look at all these odd things!” Artoo hummed as he strolled about, his little photo-receptor picking up the items enclosed in glass cases. Not much of it was any interest to the astromech droid. What he was looking for was an access port. He did not like being unable to communicate with the great ship around him. Surely there must be a port somewhere. And, yet, he and Threepio had seen no other droids about. He rotated his dome to see Threepio bent over, staring silently at a paper scroll. The golden droid straightened suddenly. “Artoo! This relic dates back to the time of Empress Teta!” The droid blatted. “Who cares?” Threepio repeated as though not hearing him clearly. “I care.” He straightened further. “And I’m sure Master Luke and Mistress Leia will care as well!” Artoo strolled on. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Cape flowing out behind him and eyes trained on the datapad in his hand, Lando Calrissian strode down a spiral staircase of glass. Below was Deck 17, which would gain him access to the storage deck where the door had opened on its own. After that screen had flared to life, another one did the same, showing a similar scene, both on the same deck. Arriving at the portal that would take him to the storage area, he considered going back for company but decided to leave his guests be. At the entryway he saw several pairs of safety glasses each placed in separate holders by the door. Wondering what his eyes would need protection from, he put a pair on and triggered the door, hesitating slightly before he moved forward. Everything was so quiet here… not just this deck but the whole station. He shrugged his shoulders and made himself taller as he walked down the hallway, looking through the glass walls. Lando slowed his walk, noticing how the writing here almost glowed gold and was not only on the walls but on the floor and ceilings as well. He took off the glasses and swallowed hard when he saw the writing return to normal. Lando switched sight from glasses to naked eye and few times, noticing how the writing was different, both in appearance and creation. The unease he felt before returned full force. “I do not…” he trailed off, the sound of his own voice disturbing him. Lando turned around and stepped off, jumping when he heard something cut through the air behind him. He turned back and faltered, seeing a new wall at his back. A piece of his cape lay beyond that wall where it had been so swiftly severed by the moving glass. Fear took hold and he back up quickly. A blur of motion in the room next to him made him stop. He followed the dark color with his eyes, sure it could be a person. The blurred form shot from one area to another, seeming to vibrate as it moved. Lando walked closer to the crystal wall to get a better view. Perhaps it could be machinery or- “GAH!” Lando shouted, falling back when a hideous face plastered itself against the glass, gore running down the glass and flying away from the screaming phantasm. Lando lifted off the ground and ran full tilt back the way he had come, shutting and locking the door behind him. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Walking hand in hand, Luke and Nova searched room after room, hallways and floors, finding much of the same through out the vast structure. Walls of clear and opaque glass with strange writings and symbols and rooms filled with amazing relics. The lighting was soft but chased away the shadows well enough to set them at ease. Walking down a narrow hallway of vividly lit glass panels, Nova commented on what had been nagging at her since they walked in. “Why would they leave all this stuff?” Luke’s eyebrows shot up. “I was just wondering the same thing.” “Seems too good to be true. Not that I’m not happy if Lando gets ‘the big one’ but this all seems kind of suspicious.” The look he gave her made her smile. “I was thinking that, too.” Luke suddenly tensed and turned quickly, letting go of her hand. Nova turned but saw nothing, feeling suddenly chilled where she was still damp from her bath. “What?” The male squinted. “I thought someone was behind us.” Nova bit her lip then rubbed his arm. “Maybe we should check on Leia and Han.” “No. Let’s not bother them just yet.” Both felt a sudden shock and Nova ducked closer to Luke as his hand went to his saber. “What was…?” “Fear…” Luke turned his head, his face grimacing, reaching out in the Force to find the source. “Not Leia or Han.” “Lando, then?” Her husband nodded. “Lando.” With that, the Jedi raced down the hall, and wound their way carefully and much too slowly to were they felt Lando to be. They saw him before he saw them and they flagged him down. He was ashen and his usually bright smile was nowhere to be seen. Nova jogged to him and hooked an arm at his side. “Hon, what happened? You okay?” Lando shook his head, looking behind him. “He’s shaking”, she said softly to her husband. “Lando? What happened?” Luke was looking off to the area Lando had been leaving, not knowing what to expect. The darker human blew out a shaky breath. “I saw… something in the hold. Something…” “Something…?” “Horrible.” All sorts of things ran through Nova’s mind. She silenced them all. “Do you feel safe to talk here? Would you like us to take you somewhere else?” That seemed to bring him about. “Yes. Just away from here. My office. Come on.” He started off abruptly and they followed. Luke’s blue eyes captured everything as he walked, ears and Force-sense on alert. Nova envied him. Every sense they had come on board, her own feelings in the Force had been distracted. He was much more attuned to the physical aspects of the Force anyway, but since she had arrived here, she’d felt alittle dulled. “Are we in danger, Lando?” Nova asked softly. “Should we call Han and Leia?” “I don’t know. I-“ He stopped and turned to them. “Aren’t you guys picking up anything through the Force?” The couple exchanged looks. “We’ve noticed a few… odd things,” Luke answered. “What did you see?” Lando took off the clear glasses he was wearing and handed them to Luke, looking around anew. He felt nauseated and was angry with himself for having fear but this was not ordinary at all. Not at all. “Put those on and tell me what you see.” The blonde male looked at the glasses then slipped them on, looking behind him then at the walls and to the floor at his feet. “More writing. It’s… different…” “Let me see.” “Wait.” Luke waved his wife off and walked closely to a nearby wall. “I… I recognize this now…” Lando and Nova waited for him to finish but he just stood there, body tight. “Luke?” “The writing… I recognize it from the holocron”, he answered them in a soft voice. He took and breath and said, “It’s Sith.”
CHAPTER THREE
Han stretched and smiled, arm thrown over his head. Leia was at his side, fast asleep and curled up against him. He tossed the cover off him to cool himself off a bit, the heat between he and his wife more than was comfortable. He stretched his toes and contemplated letting her sleep and canceling the dinner for tonight. They could order in and pick up where they left off before they had fallen asleep. His smile widened. The couple didn’t get a lot of time together to just be a couple and these moments were too good to pass up. A wide yawn made him settle back down but a knock at the door made him jump hard enough to wake Leia. “Who is it?” The knocking came again, louder and more urgent. “I don’t know but I’m gonna blast whoever it is.” Rubbing her eye, she chuckled and pulled her blankets close against her. Han got up and pulled his pants over his bare legs. The knocking continued, coming in heavy bangs. “I’m coming!” he growled, stomping over to the door and yanking open the opaque crystal door. He was caught in a sudden chill that climbed its way into his bones. But no one was there. Han poked his head out the door and looked back and forth along the hallway. “Han?” “No one’s there.” Leia made the movement of getting out of bed but Han put up his hand. “Suppose Luke or Nova’s playing a prank?” “I really don’t think so, Han.” Leia shivered and bit her lip. “Just close the door.” “Huh? Oh… yeah.” He shut the door and took a step back. He looked over to see Leia shimmying into her cloths then jumped when he saw a dark streak at the corner of his eyes. Seeing nothing there, he laughed it off. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
But there was something there, just beyond his vision. A woman, pinched and hunched, staring at the filth before her. Her presence oozed hatred and self-righteousness. They were man and woman who behaved like beasts. They were no more deserving of life than she. Her life was gone and so should theirs… The male walked by and she reached out, withered hand scratching into his chest. She watched him jump and grabbed his shirt, talking to his concubine. The Pilgrimess screamed in frustration and, feeling new energy well up inside her, attacked again. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Leia shouted when Han double over, gasping. He flipped over, yelling, kicking his feet against the floor beneath him. “Han?! What is it?” She grabbed his arm to pull him up and she felt pressure go through her and thin rivulets of blood rise up on his chest. Han looked down in disbelief and got back to his feet, grabbing his blaster from beside the bed, falling against the dresser and yelping when heat streaked down his back. Leia shouted again and he rose back up, grabbed her to his side and fired his blaster directly behind him twice, thinking to hit who ever was there. They were silent for a moment, only their breathing breaking the silence. “What the hell was that?” he whispered. “Come on, Han. We have to find Luke.” Han wasted no time, leaving behind everything but his blaster. Bare-chested and bare-footed, he followed Leia outside, his torso aching and bleeding. Leia wore only what she had shrugged into, a tan dress fit for warm climates but when she turned, he noticed that she had grabbed her blaster as well. He smiled despite his pain. The smile disappeared when she halted. “There’s something wrong.” “What gave you that idea?” “No”, she almost snapped, staring away from them. “With Luke… I… I think he, Nova and Lando are together.” “Where?” “I can’t be sure… below us?” Han rested his hand on his knee, his skin stinging. “Don’t suppose you brought a commlink.” Leia shook her head and Han looked back at their room. No way was he going back in there. “Where is Goldenrod when you need him?” ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“Oh, Artoo, I do believe we have taken a wrong turn.” The little droid did not respond. “I guess you’re right. But I would hate to run out of power and not know where I am. How would Master Luke find us? My, this place is rather spooky.” Artoo hummed. “Well, I’m glad you think it’s spooky, too,” Threepio responded, following the little droid as he rolled down the hall. “I don’t know why you want to find an access port. Who would want to talk to this place?” The droid stopped and rotated his dome back to Threepio, hardly believing he had just said such a thing, then rolled on. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“Well, I guess I know why I got this place so cheap”, Lando spoke, his voice harsh with fear and anger. Luke and Nova stood side by side in front of his desk as he rummaged through stacks of data pads and drawers. They had swapped storied on the way to his office, dragging out details and trying to put clues together. “What are you looking for?” He stopped suddenly and his big hands paused over his now messy desk. “I was thinking I’d find a reason for all this. The previous owner left tons of notations and information. I had just started going through it.” Nova sighed and sat on the edge of the desk. “Lando, we already know that there are specters here and some seriously bad energy. Now, usually, all people in the situation wind up with is being scared. I’m sure Luke and I or some of our knights can handle this, disperse the energy perhaps and set these occupants free.” “Usually?” The woman nodded. “There can be enough concentrated energy in one place to enable other worldly beings to make physical contact with us… but it’s rather rare.” “But possible.” “Very.” Lando shook his head. “I’m no fool. We’ll call Han and Leia and get the hell out of here. You guys can handle it later.” Luke didn’t look pleased. He stood with arms crossed, his face grim. His blue eyes looked alittle too far away to be listening to them. “Hon?” “There’s trouble. Leia’s trying to contact me…” Abruptly, he turned and headed for the door. “Stay with Lando.” “But-“ ’Don’t leave him, Nova.’ ’Be careful, love.’ Ofcourse…” He sent his love to her and triggered the door. “Wait!” Luke turned and saw Nova grab the glasses Lando had found off the desk and jog to him.. “Take them”, she said, pressing them into his hand. “I’d rather you-“ “If you walk out that door, you’re taking them and wearing them. Got it?” Luke smiled and nodded, putting the clear shades on. He kissed her and stroked the sides of her face. Lando’s finger was tapping on the top of the table as Luke walked out. “He’s just leaving?” Nova smiled and walked back to him. “They’ll meet us here. Then we all will head to the docking…” The male waited for her to finish but she didn’t. “What?” The woman wilted alittle. “The droids…” “Well, they are the least on my mind right now.” “Well, we certainly aren’t going to leave them,” she defended. Lando held up a hand. “Ofcourse not.” Nova sighed and crossed her arms, walking across the room to the clear shelves at the wall. Waiting was a chore she did not take well to when it meant someone she loved may be in danger. She stared at the odd trinkets inside, noticing one in particular. It was a book. A large, old, hard bound book made from some type of wood and adorned with cursive symbols and precious metals. Nova leaned closer and stared hard at the cover. “Lando? What is this?” He was putting his cape on the back of his chair when he was called and he came to her immediately to see what she had found. “Beats me.” The woman moved her hands over the case, trying to find a way inside. “What’s so interesting about it?” “The writing. It’s the same writing that’s on the walls when you put the glasses on. When I looked through them earlier, I saw this symbol on every door. It’s Sith… I just don’t know what it means.” She was finally able to lift the front pane and pull the book out. “It could be cursed, you know.” Nova gave him a surprised look that could have been confused for annoyance. Laying the book on his desk, she opened it and began turning the pages. “Wish Threepio were here.” “He couldn’t read it before.” “He couldn’t see it before. He knows Sith from the holocron just like Luke. But the Sith language is all broken on the walls until you put those glasses on… And in this book, it’s all here. He could read it.” “So could Luke.” Nova glanced over. “He can’t read it. He just recognized the letters.” She flipped through a few more pages in the ancient manuscript. “Drawings…” Lando sighed in frustration and ambled off, leaning against his desk. “This is crazy.” Nova leaned over the book, placing both fists at its sides, closing her eyes. Luke had, on occasion been able to understand others when communication failed due to differences in language. So had she, in fact. With the use of the Force one could always find meaning. She opened her eyes, coming up from the small dip into the calmness of the Force and stared down at words and symbols that still made no sense. Sighing, she plucked up a comm link that he had on his desk. She adjusted the frequency to that of Luke’s comm. “Luke, do you copy?” She waited a moment but received no response. “Luke, are you there?” A small burst of static and a broken, unintelligible voice came through. “I’m not reading you. Say again.” The same noises were emitted and she adjusted the frequency once more. “Luke? Come back.” The static remained but she could hear a small voice under it. She lifted the link closer to her ear. ’…yoU DoN’t BElonG HeRE…’ Nova’s head snapped back and she set the mic down with a thump. “What? What did you hear?” She scooped the book up and tucked it under her arm. “Let’s go, Lando.” “What happened to waiting? Nova!” He watched her stride for the door and walk through without looking back. He grabbed his blaster and the main datapad and rushed after her. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Luke swallowed as he felt the distance between he and his wife become more pronounced. They worried for one another whenever they parted but this was different. The rules were changed and they could not count on their experiences in the physical world to help them. But his sister and Han were much more vulnerable than he and Nova. She would stay with Lando and keep him safe and he would retrieve his family and they would go after the droids, then leave. He held his unlit light saber before him, walking quickly down the hall. The sound of scurrying feet stopped him. He scanned the area, seeing nothing, then used the force to sense the energy around him. It was cold… and full… Luke continued on, the scurrying sound pitter-pattering around him, fast and teasing him, making him jump, annoying him and seeming to try to bring up his anger. It followed him as he tried to make his way to Leia. He wanted to run, to leave it behind but he felt that would be the worst thing to do. A few times, he saw a blur of light at the floor and heard a low sound like a voice far away. He adjusted the glasses on his face and tapped the center part, catching the glow of the words all around him. A distant cry came to him again but he ignored it. He licked his dry lips, stopping at a junction in the wide hall to look around. He was beginning to tire of the crystal and white of the colossal station, it’s beauty no longer showing. Leia was somewhere ahead of him, upward and to his right and he wondered how to get to her through this maze. A small cry called to him and he froze, turning his head slowly to the left where a door was opened into an unexplored room. Unlike the distant, teasing noises, this one was close by, just in that room. It sounded like his wife. “Help me!” “Nova?” he called softly, the thin sound, making him shiver. He reached out to his wife where he thought she should be and caught a hint of her somewhere back the way he had come. “Help me… help…” ”Even though he knew it was not his wife, Luke walked into the room, his saber clenched tight. It was a spare room, apparently, because he was confronted with an empty room. But when he turned, he caught the sight of a shape laying in the corner. It was a woman crumpled on her side with her back to him, adorned in a pale purple dress, long blonde hair draped over the floor around her. By reflex, he rushed forward and reached out a hand. The woman flipped over and kicked, struggling and twisting on the floor grotesquely, arms and legs bound so tight, bones speared through her flesh. Her face was equally contorted, bloodied and swollen, mouth gaping in an eternal scream. Luke back-pedaled, feeling as though he would explode from the emotion. She twisting and flipped, banging her head against the floor and gurgling, managing to lurch toward him. The hate, the rage, the pain, the sheer terror ripped into the master, sending him hurdling out of the room. CHAPTER FOUR<
Leia stumbled and Han’s arm came around her. “What?” “It’s Luke,” she breathed. “He’s trying to find us…” “Where’s he at?” She shook her head. “Near.” She lifted her dark head and looked about. “There. That direction… I think…” “You think?” “I’m not very good at this, Han,” she snapped then sighed. “Things here are… confusing. Just not right.” “You’re telling me.” She looked over and instantly felt empathy for his wounds assail her. He was a strong one and didn’t complain but she could tell the cuts on his chest and back were bothering him. He met her eyes and cupped his hand at her back. “Let’s go, sweetheart. We’re bound to meet up with him.” They walked across the open hall that looked out onto another room. Han glanced over and realized it was the front room close to the docking bay. He also notice that the gold floor-pattern of rings was moving. Leia saw him lean over the rail and look down. She joined him and stared down at the spinning ring. Six of them were moving opposite one another, the center remaining still. “I really don’t like the looks of this.” “Me, either”, she whispered back. “The docking bay is right across from here. I say we warm up the ’Falcon’ and burn outta here when we find everybody.” Leia nodded then pointed. “Look… another one just started up.” Han frowned, watching the seventh ring speed up to match the others. “What do you suppose it means?” She shook her head. “If we get to the Falcon we can comm the others. Let’s go.” ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“Damn it, Nova! Slow down.” The woman stopped but not for him. She was looking left and right at a new section. Satisfied, she stepped off and headed left. “We have to find Luke, Lando.” “Well, I don’t have the Force and I can tell you that if you keep walking like that, you’re going to run into something.” She stopped again and looked around. “He’s in that direction.” Lando looked the way she pointed then consulted his datapad. “Go right.” “What?” “There’s a hallway that leads to that section. Go right.” Nova turned, heading away from Luke’s presence, the book still tucked under her arm. “We need to find him, Lando.” “I know”, he replied, walking ahead of her to lead the way. It took only a second to realize she wasn’t following. He turned to see her staring off. “I feel something.” “Something?” he whispered, looking around cautiously. Nova tilted her head downward, trying to see passed the realm they existed in. “It’s a man…” She silenced herself, trying harder to break passed the mundane world just enough to show her what she needed to see. It was hard to hold on to. It whispered away from her like a dream, teasing her. She walked forward, down the hall, focusing in that one spot close to the floor. She did not feel threatened… but she did sense fear. Concentrating on that spot, she began to see the specter of a male Aqualish. He was slumped against the wall, hands in his lap, his squid-like head bowed, dark eyes darting up to her then away, obviously scared. “Don’t be afraid”, she whispered. “I won’t hurt you.” “Nova-“ “Shh.” The Aqualish tensed, pulling his limbs closer to him. Nova blinked rapidly at the strange disrepair of his body. Why would they appear in such horrid images? Colors were distorted but she could tell that his throat was cut and his own life’s blood stained his chest and hands. But that wasn’t all. There was something odd about his face. His eyes were too big, his forehead slope back and his lips too pronounce. She was no expert on exo-biology but she knew that his characteristics were not normal. Birth defeat, perhaps… genetic defect… “My name is Nova. Can you tell me yours?” Again, his eyes flickered up. “Are you afraid? It’s okay to be scared. This is a spooky place. Do you know how you got here?” All the questions were asked gently, slowly. He nodded. His lips moved but no sound was heard. Nova licked her lips, trying harder to connect with him. If she could help him move on… maybe there would be peace in the station. Perhaps he alone, this scared, confused man was the root of all the disturbances. She tried not to acknowledge the indent in the shower as it brought up negative emotion. “Do you realize that you can leave?” He looked up slowly, meeting her eyes. So empty… Nova shivered and pressed her palms together, calming herself. “There are others waiting for you. On the other side… You don’t have to stay here if you don’t… if you…” The master stopped, confused by the growing look of horror on his face. “What’s wrong?” But he wasn’t looking at her any more. No… he was looking behind her. Nova turned and squealed, a towering Aqualish standing over her. The female alien opened her mouth and a flood of noise berated the Jedi. She tried to stand and defend herself but she was shoved across the floor by a kick from the specter. From the corner of her eye, she saw the male crying with no sound. She struggled to get up but the woman Aqualish, naked and rotted kept kicking her and striking her with a rod. Where ever Nova was hit, she felt numb… cold… Distantly, she thought of how insane this was. Mere ghosts did NOT have this kind of power. She thought she cried out for Lando as she twisted and gained her footing. The book fell from her grasp and she tried to turn back for it but the beastly woman drove her back against the wall, spitting and screaming. A heavy weight gripped her body and she felt herself jostled through the air. “-wrong with you?!” Lando shouted. “She’s attacking me! The book!” “I got it! Who-“ “Run!” she screamed as the large woman bounded towards them. “Run, run, run!” ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Luke’s foot falls echoed flatly to him as he followed Leia’s trail. He recognized where he was by the little trinkets he had notice before. He was going towards the docking port and knew, by instinct that he was going in the right direction. He was beginning to wonder if he had made the right decision in leaving the others behind. They could have stayed together but, at this point, he had no idea what to expect from this colossal ship. His stomach churned and he thought, morosely of the disturbing energies rolling about on the station. This place had the same creepy feeling that he associated with the swamp on Dagobah… only more threatening. Luke turned sharply around, eyes searching the long hallway and the rooms he could see through the white walls. He had felt as if he was still being followed, some presence that stayed just beyond his sight. When he turned back, he was surprised to find that Leia’s sense was no longer reaching him. He stalled and stared ahead blindly, searching in an expanding bubble away from himself. But she was no where to be felt. But there was panic ahead, panic and anger and fear… ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Running as swiftly as they could through the clear hallways, Nova kept up behind Lando, letting him lead. The book was still in Lando’s hands while Nova kept her saber tight in her grip. She hobbled a few times from the beating she took but managed to subdue her pain through to her training. When it happened, it happened so fast that not even Nova, who was looking ahead of her, saw it coming. One minute she was jogging behind her friend, the next she was laying flat on her back, her hand at her face and her head and one knee hurting. The sound of a loud, ‘thump’ echoed in her ears. “Nova!” She moaned and moved her other hand to her face, breathing steadily to cope with the pain. “Damn…” “You… okay?” She sat up on one elbow, pulling her hands away to check for blood. Her hands were clear but the pain was enough to make her dizzy. “Damn…” Nova looked up and saw Lando with his hands pressed against glass. She sat up, looking behind them to check for any enemies. Her eyes were teary and her whole face hurt, right along with her knee, which had all hit the wall first. “Is it broken?” “Where’d that wall come from?” she asked, feeling of the bridge of her nose. The line was still blessedly straight but there was a shock of pain when she touched the tip. “Don’t know.” Lando watched her stand up, making a sympathetic face at the skin of her forehead which was already turning colors and her nose that would surely begin to swell soon. He pushed on the wall and looked for which way it had come down or across. He could find nothing that could have triggered it unless it was a trap. Unless the whole station was a trap… Lando’s heart sank. That was it. A trap. That’s exactly what it was. Looking behind him, to make sure he was alone, he wished again that he had his glasses. But maybe Luke was putting them to good use. He looked at the book he held then at Nova who was standing with her face bowed into her hands. “You okay?” She was silent for a moment then lifted her head, her expression one of calmness. “Mini-healing trance. Enough to take the edge off. Lando, you have to find Luke and give him that book.” “How can I find him?” “Didn’t you say that datapad checked for life signs?” “Yes…” He looked down at it and accessed the proper files. “Okay… reading…” Nova moved closer to the wall upon seeing his expression. “What?” “It says there are six life signs here.” “Six?” The male nodded. “Someone must have come aboard when we weren’t looking.” “Can you tell who’s who?” Lando didn’t say anything as he looked through the files in the data pad. His face looked puzzled then shocked upon seeing something there. “Lando? What?” “Security cameras. They’re everywhere.” The blonde frowned, touching the tip of her nose absent-mindedly. “I haven’t seen any.” “Me, either.” “Find Luke.” “Hold on.” Letting out a breath and releasing her nervousness to the Force, Nova walked back and forth, keeping her eyes and ears open for both sides of that wall. “There’s us… There’s Han!” “And Leia?” “I don’t see her. He’s alone… He’s injured…” Nova stopped pacing. “Bad?” “No too bad, I think. He’s moving fast…” “Where’s Luke?” “Deck Three moving away from the landing bay. I can’t seem to pinpoint where the other two life signs are…” Lando looked up to see Nova trying to use her comm link again to contact Luke. Only static answered. She put the link back in the holster that had held her light saber. “Alright… do you think you can find Luke?” He nodded an affirmative. I can navigate with this, no problem. She nodded, wiping an eye. “Avoid elevators and small rooms, Lando. Keep an eye out for any more of those glasses. Please, just be careful but get that book to Luke.” “And where will you be?” “If Leia isn’t with Han then something is seriously wrong and she may be in trouble. I’m going to track them down in the Force... see who I find first. We have to regroup.” “Nova…” “Yeah?” Lando was looking behind her and she looked back seeing nothing. “What?” “We went straight, no other turns… if you double back…” She nodded, already understanding what turning back would mean. “I’ll try not to get my butt kicked this time.” With a nod, Lando watched her walk off, disappearing around a corner, her step not faltering. He swallowed his worry and turned to find her husband. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Han ran down a hall, cool wind against his bare and stinging skin. He called her name again and again… How could they have gotten separated? They had been working on getting the doors to the docking bay open. Leia had been behind him as a lookout as he tried to pry a colorless box by the door open… then she was just gone. He had turned around and he was alone. Completely, utterly alone. No sound. No struggle. Just gone. He had called her name then went searching, unable to fathom how she could have disappeared so swiftly. This all had to be some crazy dream… nightmare… And he had some how gotten turned around. He walked down halls he didn’t recognize and saw rooms he didn’t know. He turned around and began to back-track, his anger growing faster as time separated him from his wife. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Nova walked down the middle of the hall, eyes forward, her force-sense open to see the unseen. She passed the area where she was attacked and continued to move at her same pace. Seeing things out of the corners of her eyes, she ignored them and walked on, intent on reaching someone of her family. Her Force-sense touched on them occasionally but things were getting difficult to grasp. Something was disrupting her ability to reach out. It was like someone else’s waves overcoming the waves she was sending out. She was well passed the area where she had meet the angry ghost and scared man-child and she was beginning to relax despite her understanding of the situation. Nova halted suddenly at the sight of blood on the floor. A puddle and smears of blood on the glass and nearby wall sent every sense she had on alert. She felt panic rise in her and she let out a breath, her face hot. What if it…? No… She commanded herself not to jump to conclusions. Nothing was as it seemed here. She bent and was about to touch her fingers to the puddle to check the freshness, when she saw a squirming creature in the mess. Nova recoiled from the maggots and stood back, watching the trail create itself down the hallway, the blood running away from her. Her blue eyes tracked the steam then looked back at the puddle, which was growing, expanding outwards in a bubbly fountain. She backed up so the fluid wouldn’t hit her bare feet. The blood began to gush from the floor and she stepped back, afraid of getting boxed in. Her leg hit something and she whirled around, leaping back in horror. A humanoid torso… no arms, nor legs, nor head lay on the floor. But it was moving in its mess of gore, writhing… The male torso inched toward her and she skipped back, slipping in the warm blood, then raced down the hall way, leaving her own bloody foot prints behind. CHAPTER FIVE
Lando stood on a catwalk, looking over a bright section of space that could have been used for anything from a lobby to a game room or perhaps a garden area.... He smiled wistfully to himself. He would have turned it into a courtyard… a bright courtyard where friends could chatter and laugh and food courts could please his guests with the most exquisite of meals. But all he saw was the data pad he held. He had the book Nova wanted so badly to get to Luke under his arm, datapad in one hand, blaster in the other. According to the datapad, Luke was two halls over and one floor down. Lando froze, his eyes rolling from the data pad to the room below him. He watched as a woman with curly brown hair walk across the floor, her gait slow and filled with pain, it seemed. She looked so real, except her color was as washed out as no living creature could be. She didn’t seem as threatening as the others. He felt a great sense of confusion and of sadness for her. There was a sense of recognition some how, which, as she stopped abruptly, turned to fear. The woman looked up slowly, meeting his gaze. Blaster burns marred her beauty… Dirt and blood stood out in stark contrast against her paleness. They locked sight for many seconds before she looked away and walked on, disappearing through the wall at the end of the room. A tap at his shoulder had him whirling around, blaster coming up so fast that it hit the person behind him with a metallic clang. “Oh! Don’t shoot!” “Damn you, Threepio!” Lando bent over slightly, his heart thumping madly. “Sorry, sir.” Artoo rolled up close to them, blatting. “Are you okay, sir?” Threepio asked, his arms still up in surrender. His hand came up as he nodded. “Just great. Have you seen anyone?” “Can you be more specific?” Lando straightened and snapped. “Have you seen anyone? Luke, Leia, Han, Nova… anyone!” “Not sense this afternoon, sir. Artoo and I have been exploring. We’ve found the most amazing treasures-“ “Quiet.” “Yes, sir.” Lando gripped his blaster tighter, his calm coming more quickly. He would never admit to it but having Threepio and Artoo here was a God-send. Atleast now, he was not alone and every shadow would not have a horrid face. He felt calmer already. “Okay… Threepio-“ “Lando!” The male spun back around at the voice coming from below them at the courtyard. “Oh! Master Luke!” “Luke! Am I glad to see you!” The blonde Jedi walked to the center of the room, his eyes searching for stairs leading to the cat walk. Not finding any, he took of at a sudden running jump and used the Force to propel him upwards to land on the catwalk beside the trio. “What are you doing here? Where’s Nova?” Lando’s shoulders sagged alittle. “Lando…” “We got separated. She had to back track.” “I told the both of you to stay-“ “I know. But Nova thought you needed to see this.” Luke looked down at the book Lando was holding up. He took the ancient text and held it in both hands, a chill working its way up his arm. With the chill was real or imagined, he knew it was not good. “Nova seemed to think it would explain some things.” “Where is she, Lando?” He had to shrug. “Can’t you feel her?” Luke’s blue eyes closed gently and he shook his head. “Barely but yes…” “She went to find Han or Leia.” Luke nodded. “Let’s wish her luck because I couldn’t find either. Now, let’s go somewhere safer than here. Come on, Threepio. I’ll need your help.” ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The closer she got to her friends, the more stable her sense became. She had encountered other hints of angry spirits along the way but none attacked her and, somehow, she had manage to find her way to Luke. He was guiding her in, now… her foot steps sure as his mind remained linked to hers to help her navigate. It had taken quite some time to transverse the deck she was on and even more time getting passed the array of fears she was encountering. She came to a door and saw the solid colors of four individuals hold up inside. The door opened and Lando ushered her in, his blaster at the ready. Nova didn’t want to tell him that it probably wouldn’t do anyone any good here. Luke was sitting cross-legged on the floor, the book in front of him, Threepio standing over both, translating the Sith language into Basic. Luke saw her and moved as if to stand but she beat him to it and wrapped her arms around him where he sat, kissing his face a few times in relief. They said nothing of their hearts for the others to hear but Luke did eye her face and she realized, not for the first time, that her nose and eyes were swelled. “I’ll live”, she soothed, noticing that her voice sounded alittle nasally thanks to the swelling. “Did you find anything useful?” Luke nodded morosely. The woman looked up to see Lando leaned against a wall, staring at the floor. “Where do I start?” The master rubbed his hands together. “The writings we saw on the walls and floors are some type Force-enhanced creations. They are words of power being used to direct and contain.” “Contain?” “Spirits. Ones that were unable to move on… unable to join the Force.” Nova nodded. “But for what purpose?” Luke flipped some pages back to a diagram of the station. “This entire vessel is one big machine.” He hesitated, shaking his head. “I really don’t understand it myself… but, according to this, the machine will generate enough power, using those captured souls, to create a vortex of dark side energy. Who ever can put to use that energy… would be omnipotent.” The blonde sat down, feeling terribly tired all of a sudden. “A Sith built this place…?” Luke sighed heavily. “Palpatine built this place.” He flipped the book to the back page and, there, in bold scrawl was the former emperor’s signature and thumb print. Nausea rolled over her and she frowned. “But he’s dead. What does this mean… is the ship running on automation?” Luke shook his head. “I don’t know. But that isn’t all…” “It seems the reason this place was never used is because of how specific things needed to be. The whole place revolves around twelve trapped spirits and one other… They all will come together at a specific time and…” Luke shook his head. “Together, their energy will create this massive energy to be used by the person who orchestrated it all.” “Who ever that is”, Lando murmured, still staring at the floor. Luke was flipping through the pages to get back to where they had been before Nova came into the room. “Threepio had just gotten to the main section describing each ghost required to bring about this vortex.” He held the book open wider for Threepio to read. The droid began to read the header of each page, which was filled with individual pictures of the dreaded specters. “…The First Born Son to die through no fault of his own… The Torso of the beloved man…” Nova looked up sharply, remembering the grotesque image in the hallway she had rushed through. “…The Bound Woman in the throws of agony…” Luke shifted in his spot and pressing his hands together. “…The Wilted Lover lost… The Torn Prince of the Lost Throne… The Angry Princess…” There was an uncomfortable feeling about where Leia could be but Threepio moved on without pausing. “…The Pilgrimess of the False Way… The Great Child and The Dire Mother…” The Aqualish… “…The Hammer, creature of Violence… The Jackal, creature of Insanity (1)… and The Juggernaut… creature of hate…” Threepio straightened. “Oh! But that’s only twelve. I thought there was suppose to be one other.” Luke turned the pages of text until he arrived at a new drawing. It was a depiction of an individual standing before the golden rings that they had seen in the front room, which was spinning on its own as time progressed. “Read it, Threepio.” He bent down again, photoreceptors glowing brightly. “The Thirteenth Spirit, born of Sacrifice, killed by Love and Creator of the Dark Sun.” Luke jumped when Lando stooped down next to him, almost knocking him over. His dark hands flipped back through the pages and stopped at the Wilted Lover. “Lando, what is it?” “That woman in the courtyard… I recognized her.” Luke and Nova looked to one another. They didn’t know who he was referring to but it was obviously a specter. He rocked back on his heels. “It was Bria Theran. Han’s first love…” He’s hands doubled into fists. “Han… whoever brought us here wants Han to be the Thirteenth Ghost.” ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Han stood silent in the wide room they had all passed by just this morning before this crazy nightmare had begun. The golden rings spun dizzily against one another and, in the center, where the last ring was still, lay his wife. Leia was unconscious, dead for all he knew. A strange wind wafted toward him and blew back his shaggy hair. It was warm but tinged with something otherworldly. That wind turned ice cold and it chilled him to the bone. His eyes cut to the side as another spirit walked passed him. They had been coming one after another, taking up a watch around the rings. He could barely believe his eyes as they assembled and stood in a circle around the spinning rings. Han stared at the newest one as she walked by. She seemed to want to stop but was being tugged along by invisible hands. “Bria…” She was burned by blaster discharge and seemed so small as she was brought into the circle. Her face a sad mockery of the woman he once knew. Beside him was a young teen with a broken neck and beside him was a body with no head or limbs, a woman bound tightly and then Bria… Bria, killed in a firefight, trying to bring vital information to the Rebellion… Bria… A male was beside her with no face, a bloodied Twelik female, a contemptuous woman, a pair of Aqualish, a Devorian with a force pike, a misshapen human and a massive beast of a man… And Han Solo. And above all of them, stood a man dressed in simple white, staring down at the culmination of years of search and hardship. Tonight, all the galaxy would be his… ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Lando was nearly bowled over by the two Jedi as they came to a halt at the catwalk over the device. A foul wind blew and they stared in awe as they watched the specters coalesced at the rings. Empty lightening flashed between the dead and the rings seemed to glow hungrily. “Leia…” Nova held on to the front of Luke’s shirt so we wouldn’t jump off to the rescue. Leia was lying in the center of it all, looking barely conscious. Han stood, bare-chested at the front of the ghostly crowd, his brown hair whipping about his head. Nova could see his chest rising and falling as he stared at Leia. His eyes kept shifting to a woman near by who looked compelled to stare at the golden rings as they spun dizzily on the floor, making an ungodly sound. It was a deep hum overlaid by a high pitched sound. “And this, the eve of my exultation, I create the power that is to be bestowed upon me!” The trio looked across at the man calling out so loudly to be heard over the commotion below. He was a man of pale skin, intense features and coal black hair. Thin but wiry, he was tall and adorned only in a robe of white. “Just who is that?” asked Lando, gripping his blaster tight. “Our host”, Luke spat. “You have to jump, Han! It’s the only way to save your wife. She can’t help herself! You must sacrifice yourself to save her! Is she worth it?” “Han, no!” He looked up, his face suddenly open. “Kid!” Nova looked up in time to see the man’s back retreated and nothing more. “Luke, I think he’s-“ “I see him.” Before Luke could race after him, the man appeared at the end of their cat walk, a self-satisfied look on his face. “My, but I thought you three would be out of the picture by now.” “Who are you?” The man eyed the speaker and smiled. “Luke Skywalker. What an honor.” “Can’t say the same.” Not noticing what Luke had said, the male gave a little bow then glanced down at the arena he had created. “I am Kertanos. Former Hand of Emperor Palpatine and his prized student.” The situation below seemed to escalate and Nova stepped back, ready to go to Han’s aid. “Stop, madam. I do insist you stay.” His gaze locked to her then the book she carried. “Ah, I was looking for that. Naughty of you to take it from my office.” Nova grunted when the book was ripped from her grasp with such force that it broke her nails and stunned her fingers. The action was so sudden that she couldn’t even use a Force-grab to catch it. Kertanos abruptly turned, as the book flipped itself open to where it wanted to be accessed, and began reading archaic words aloud from the book, his voice filled with dark power. Luke rushed forward, lightsaber in hand but was stopped cold by a shield of stony ice. He was stunned and felt himself falling, unable to control his own body. Nova and Lando grabbed him and pulled him out of that cold grasp, feeling tiny claws rake at his flesh. Below, the rings began cutting into the air, spinning and rotating in a whirl of gold. “Jump, Han Solo!” Nova’s fists balled and she increased the power to her natural shield and rushed headlong into the icy bubble. His shield soaked up her power but she made it through enough to fall on him. She saw his surprised look and heard the book clatter to the floor. ’Duck!’ Nova dropped like her strings had been cut and heard a hum fly over her. Kertanos’s head thumped to the floor nearby and rolled off the platform and fell into the arena below. She watched in horror as his body toppled over and thumped to the floor, hardly believing his head had been severed so swiftly. Luke’s arm hooked around his wife, feeling her cool skin. “I’m fine!” she called, getting up and stumbling to the rail. “Oh, Force…” The arena was filled with haze, the ghosts where hung in the air and barely visible, the vortex stealing their energy, sucking up what ever life they had left. Leia was sitting up now, her head ducked down as the golden rings scissored through the air, threatening to cut the galaxy asunder. Han was stepping closer and closer to the pitch-black void below that was visible as the rings spun and flipped. He seemed distant, hypnotized… “Han, stop!” He looked up then back at Leia and called her name. Luke and Nova held out their arms, over the rail, commanding their energy to slipped into the rings. Beneath the intensely dark power, they were just common metal. The rings slowed then locked into the floor, bouncing and jumping as the two Jedi fought for control. “Han, go!” Lando shouted. The male streaked forward, tripping and bounding across the writhing floor, grabbed his wife and tried to retreat. He was stopped by invisible hands and pushed down onto the floor. There was panic at first until he realized it was Luke and Nova turning their attention to him to keep him safe. The two Jedi sagged, the rings flipping and spinning once more, now seeming angry and vengeful. The specters seem to begin winking out like stars in the distance, their essences loosing the battle. The station rocked suddenly. “What was that?” asked Lando looking around, his body stuff. A twitter at Nova’s comm burst through the noise and wind around them and Threepio’s voice came on. “Master Luke, Artoo found an access port!” He snatched the comm from her holster were she had stuck it and spoke rapidly. “Threepio, tell Artoo to shut down all power to the ship. Is there an autodestruct?” Lando looked over sharply. “What?!” A pause from the other end, then, “Yes, sir!” “Set it for ten minutes then get to the Falcon’!” Luke held Nova’s hand. “Ready?” She nodded. The two held out their arms again and the rings struggled as they resettled. The lights were killed and they stilled completely, surprising the two Jedi above. Han wasted no time in getting to his feet. He managed to push Leia ahead of him just before the rings collapsed beneath him. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
The trio was racing down the catwalk to the couple, aided by the small glow from the emergency panels, when they saw the floor give way beneath Han’s feet. He yelped and grabbed the floor’s edge, his form dangling into a yawning void. Leia grabbed his wrists, but, still weakened from the evil man’s dark power, could only hold onto him. Lando was there next, almost sliding into the void. Luke and Nova watched their friend pull Han to safety. Han and Lando lay on the floor, both breathing hard. “Thanks, buddy.” “Any time.” Han sat up slowly, feeling a tremor work its way around him. He turned to look behind him and saw the fading form of Bria Tharen. The others were winking out and fading into the air just as she was. “I can’t leave her like this.” Luke was looking around. “We won’t have to… The dark side is still strong here but this machine was made to access it. Once it’s shut down, they’ll be released. Threepio and Artoo have already cut power, now come on!” “How can you be sure?” “Call it a hunch!” ”Then we have to hurry…” Nova stared at the ghostly forms and saw them become more vivid then disappear all together. All except one. The only one that had a reason to stay just a moment longer. ”Bria…” The woman, free of her shackles, stood beautiful against the back drop of sparkling glass. She smiled at Han, her eyes only for him. There seemed to be thoughts on the air, as light as falling snow. Memories of their love so long ago… How sorry she was… How she loved him… How she wished it could have been different… And how happy she was that he was happy and that peace would come to her soon… And, then, she was gone, vanishing from their perception. “Where-?“ “We have to go, Han. The self-destruct is set.” Nova and Lando lifted Leia to her feet. Her strength was returning quickly and she could now run under her own power. Han actually seemed more dazed than she did. Luke took up the rear of the group and prayed that nothing would stop them on the way to safety. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The ‘Falcon’ roared out of the crystal station and into space, trying to get as much distance between it and what, they hoped, would soon be a fireball. Han was piloting, his hands shaking as they worked the controls. Leia sat beside him in the over-sized co-pilot’s chair, still looking alittle woozy from her ordeal with the Sith. Nova and Luke stood behind them, their senses trained on the station and the energies that it emitted. Lando and the droids were there as well, waiting in anticipation as they watched the monitors that showed the shrinking megalith in the distance. No sound was made but they all saw the flash before the shock wave reached them. The shields protected the ship and Han turned it about to witness the shining debris field sparkling in deep space. “There it is…” Leia sat straighter as she stared at the field of light. “Luke…” He was shaking his head. “I don’t feel anything… the void… the Dark Side… it’s gone… But…” “But what?” asked Han, looking at the debris as well. He stood straight, not letting his sore back touch the seat behind him. “It feels… flat….” “Like a scar”, Nova whispered. Luke nodded. “Neither Dark Side nor Light there… I guess it’s gone.” “I would have love to have gotten a hold of that book”, the woman murmured, her face palmed in her hand. “And all those treasures… gone.” She made a sudden face. “And all that stuff I bought for our vacation.” Luke tried not to smile at that last, seemingly trivial statement and was successful only because of what Han asked next. “Do you think she’s really okay? Bria… I mean.” Luke laid a hand on Han’s bare shoulder. “Yes, she is. I could feel it. It was the only hint of goodness there.” Nova wrapped her arms around his neck, careful of his injuries. “She’s fine, Han. She’s safe. And, perhaps, the others as well have found their peace.” He looked over at Leia who was looking at him with the understanding and warmth that could only come from his wife. His hand reached out for her and she laced her fingers with his. Everyone heard Lando sigh and they turned to see him still staring out at the expanding cloud of glitter. “Suppose I can get my deposit back?” Lando smiled a bashful grin, unashamed, when everyone turned to look at him. Luke shook his head, still looking out at the glittery star beyond the ’Falcon’s’ view ports. “Let’s just hope that copy is all there is… and that no one ever manages to rediscover how that vortex could be created.”
TO BE CONTINUED IN THE DISTANT FUTURE, IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY
~VORQUELLYN~
~JADE BLOOD~
~HAPPY STAR~
~ASTERIE~
~Let me know what you think! Send a comment of your own~
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